I have loved Dean Koontz since I was a teenager and the Jane Hawk series is no exception. She's tough and on a mission to take down the conspiracy that is threatening millions of people. Dean Koontz does not write many books as part of a series, but when he does, they are amazing. I have been--and will continue to--recommend the Jane Hawk series to my customers!

4.5 stars!

Jane Hawk is still on a search to find out the reason why her husband was killed and who did it. His death was set up to believe that he committed suicide, but Jane knows better. She is hiding, for her life depends on it, as she is hunted by some government agents who have a way to find their enemy. Jane used her intelligence to outsmart the enemy. She is a ex F.B.I. Agent and is a wanted fugitive. Jane's enemies are determined to see her dead or make her wish she was.

Her son has been hiding out with friends, so that he will remain safe.

Jane uncovers a conspiracy in the highest echelon of the goverment, a group who call themselves, the Arcadians. The Archadians are pure evil. They use a drug and inflicts it into people and they then have total mind control of them. They do it to those that they feel are a threat to society.

Nothing can prepare Jane for the chilling truth that awaits when she descends the crooked staircase to the dark and dreadful place where her long nightmare was born.

This book was super action packed. It is the third book in the series. I think that you should definitely start with the first book. I loved this one the best. This book is so intense. I literally couldn't put it down. When you read this make sure that you have plenty of time because I feel that you will not want to put it down. This one is my favorite of all of Dean Koontz books. He has finally came back with a winner. This book is very dark and terrifying.

This series is a thriller series. Once I started it, it captivated me till the very end. Lots and lots of riveting suspense. It is a fast paced read, with lots of twists and turns.

The characters were done so well and there were lots of disturbing ones. I love Jane Hawk's character. She is an ass kicking heroine and doesn't seem to be afraid as anything and really trusts her instincts. I was so fearful of her safety. The characters and events are realistic. I loved the dynamics of the characters.

I did not like the ending. I was so excited and my heart was pumping to find out what was going to happen next only to find a cliff hanger ending.

I loved the writing style. This is a dumpster of a book, but the chapters are really short, which makes it a very fast paced read and didn't take long to finish. This book is fantastic!! I highly recommend it for thriller fans.

I want to thank Netgalley, Random House and Dean Koontz for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know how Koontz does it, but each book gets more chilling and suspenseful than the last. I think the character of Jane Hawk is his next Odd Thomas!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

A fast-paced read full of high adrenaline thrills! This is the second book I have read in this series and it's another great read! I have not been a fan of Dean Koontz in the past, but this series has really changed things up for me. If you haven't read the first book in the series, you won't be missing too much to jump in at this point. There's enough background information so that you're not lost and the plot line will draw you in very quickly. Overall, a fantastic, thrilling read. I can't wait to find out what's in store for Jane next.

Bantam and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Crooked Staircase. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion was freely given.

Jane Hawk continues to evade capture, despite the growing threat that has started to tighten the noose around her neck. Trying to follow the chain of criminals to the most powerful players, the convoluted web of deceit and lies has Jane scrambling before it is too late. With her child's life hanging in the balance, will Jane be able to stop the pervasive threat before it is too late?

The first book in the series, The Silent Corner, blew me away with its unique ideas and cautionary tale regarding sinister technological advancements. Now on the third novel, author Dean Koontz has not progressed the story along as much as I would have liked. The basic premise to The Crooked Staircase is the same as the other two books, with much less imagination and character development than the previous novels. I am a big fan of Jane Hawk, as her sheer grit and determination, along with massive self defense skills and intuitive responses, make her a character worth getting to know. The problem is that the book, with its five hundred plus pages, becomes stale by the end. As this may be a bridge novel, designed to move the story along but to not add anything of substantive value, I will read any future books to see where the author takes Jane Hawk on her journey. Readers who are new to the series should absolutely start at the beginning, as the many nuances of Jane's character will be lost. I recommend the Crooked Staircase, and the series overall, to readers who like thrillers with a science fiction edge.

Part three of Jane Hawk's story was very fast paced and hard to put down. Jane is continuing on her quest to bring a conspiracy to light, and especially in this book we get some glimpses into some extremely competent people on the other side. Two notes: You definitely should read books 1 and 2 before reading this one. And this one ends on a pretty big cliffhanger.

This is another great book in the series by Dean Koontz. I stayed more connected in this book than I did the previous one. I can't wait for the next book!

This series is getting harder to believe. I thought it was a trilogy and was glad to see the end of it, but no, it keeps going after this.

Intriguing lead character - she is actually the reason I continued this series
A suspenseful and dramatic plotline that pulls the reader in and keeps them entertained - greatly enjoy the conspiracy theory behind this story
My problem - the abrupt and incomplete cliffhanger - I honestly enjoy a good cliffhanger - the ending of The Crooked Stairs, however, actually had me wondering if part of the book failed to download

Intriguing. Suspenseful. A page turner. Edge of your seat. 4 stars. I recommend this book. It's well written and the characters are well developed.

This series has me hooked! Although I find it a little jumpy due to the chapter structure, the story itself is very suspenseful, albeit a little far-fetched. I love the main character of Jane and how bad-ass she is.: a former FBI agent on the run, out-smarting the bad guys at every turn. I keep coming back to these books because I have to know if she wins.

This is the third installment in the exciting Jane Hawk series, and it picks up right where the second book, The Whispering Room, leaves off. Jane is still on the run, wanted for murder and treason. She is on the search for the head of the Arcadians, the elitist group working off the Hamlet List to control people through nanotechnology. Jane is working her way up the ranks and eliminating suspects as she goes. She experiences some close calls, loses good friends, and continues to stack up the dead bodies on her journey.

Although this novel is the third in the series, it does work well as a standalone. Koontz provides ample backstory that fills in the gaps. However, I would urge you to read the series in order to get a true picture of the story. Jane has undertaken this fight for two selfish reasons: to restore her husband’s reputation, because Nick had not committed suicide as the evidence indicated; and to save the life of her only child, five-year-old Travis, who’d been threatened when her investigation of Nick’s death led to the discovery of a conspiracy in some of the highest offices of government and industry. The roots of that cabal spread day by day through a nation of people unaware of their extreme peril.

The end of the book will leave you guessing as to what happens next. I will eagerly anticipate the next installment in this series.

I would recommend this book to fans of suspense and thrillers. I received this as a free ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Crooked Staircase A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz published by Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine this is book three of the Jane Hawk series. After having such a hard time with the last book, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue with this series at all because the second book didn’t find it’s stride until the end and this one started off much quicker. I will say that if you are looking to get the full picture of these novels I recommend that you read the series from the beginning.

The story reads like a car chase where Jane Hawk is Americas most wanted and in my eyes she is a hero to break down the people who killed her husband. I loved getting more of an insight on Jane and her son while needing more but I think that Dean Koontz leaves you on the edge of your seat making you want to read the next book. If you are looking for a slow build mystery that keeps you turning pages this is the book for you. Thank you to Netgalley and all parties involved for my arc I am looking forward to book for and seeing how this continues.

great new serie enjoyed very much look forward to the next book in the serie best in the serie also enjoyed this author early books

I've been a huge fan of Dean Koontz since I was eight years old. He's incredibly talented and always manages to get me involved with the characters. My favorites by him are Watchers and Lightning, in that order. This Jane Hawk series I think is my favorite series by him. He really drew me in when introducing me to Jane Hawk and her plight in book one. Book two I thought was good but didn't quite engage me as well as book one. However, it's KOONTZ, and I just knew he was setting the stage for something and I believe he delivered in this book three.

Written in 5 parts from different perspectives, we get to know a little more about who is protecting her son and I absolutely love the dynamic of Travis (Jane's son) and his "aunt and uncle". Kids are just so damn resilient, aren't they?! I knew I was enjoying the read but it wasn't until I got to the end of part four and literally gasped out loud that I realized just how immersed I was in the storyline.

I tell you what - I can't wait for book four - I NEED IT NOW! I feel like Jane is SO CLOSE to her goal... but is she actually?! I DON'T REALLY KNOW. I do know that I love her spunk and a woman scorned, who also happens to have a shit ton of skills in her arsenal, is someone you do NOT want to mess with.

Engaging, calculating and fierce. Get to know Jane Hawk. Tell her I sent you. 😉

The Crooked Staircase is a dark and gritty short that will have readers hoping that Jane is able to find peace.
Dean Koontz takes ever mothers fear bringing them to life on pages that readers will not be able to stop reading.
The story covers some of the darkest parts of the human mind with rape, torture, and sex slavery.
Jane is a one woman killing machine taking care of the scum that destroyed her life. There are several times the author loses readers with his endless knowledge of the weapons everyone is using pulling reading out of the story and flipping pages to find the action and story line once again.
The Crooked Staircase will have readers a little lost with the two different story lines as they move deeper into the angry dark story. The story also end very abrupt with a cliffhangers that will either have readers dying for more or anrgy because the story feels unfinished.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Dean Kootnz The Crooked Staircase
May 8th 2018 by Bantam

Jane Hawk is a former FBI agent who is now wabnted for treason, murder and espionage. She is working on clearing her Marine husband’s good name. Her husband committed suicide due to mind control by the use of nanotechnology. Jane has been working on exposing the people who are creating, and injecting brain-washing nanotechnology implants into people who have been declared dangerous for the future of the country. They can cause the person to commit murder and suicide. Jane has her 5 year old son in hiding with friends. Will her son be safe with them? Jane has finally gotten Booth Hendrickson who is part of the Justice Department. She finds out about Booth’s young life after she injects him with a nanotech implant. He takes her where she can get information/evidence of what is being done to people.

There is much more to the novel but it’s all to easy for me to spoil the story for you. I was totally engrossed in this novel. There is action that doesn’t stop. It is well written and includes suspense that had me holding my breath! I want the next book now as I want to know what happens next! I thoroughly enjoyed the book!

Though I liked the premise described in the blurb, in practice The Crooked Staircase fell flat for me. Jane Hawk was a strong and likeable protagonist and I found the underlying story interesting, but I had to force myself to keep reading on more than one occasion. There was too much back and forth as chapters jumped from character to character and too much description of and focus on unimportant elements, so that important pieces felt glossed over and big reveals were hardly shocking. The Crooked Staircase feels way too long, and after all that, it ends in the middle of the story, utterly unresolved.

I guess it's a cliffhanger? But it feels more like it just... stops. There's no single major question waiting to be answered, just the completely unresolved underlying story. I flipped the page expecting more of an ending and was annoyed to find an ad for the next book. I wrongly expected each story within the Jane Hawk series to be a complete mystery/thriller in and of itself, or to at least offer some semblance of resolution.

If I'd enjoyed the read, I'd continue the series, but learning the resolution (after who knows how many more installments) isn't worth the effort. If I'd borrowed this book from the library instead of reading a review copy, I very likely might've given up halfway through.

That said, if you're a fan of slow-and-descriptive thrillers and okay waiting a while for a resolution, this series might up your alley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book three of the Jane Hawk series and this is my favorite of the three so far! I’d considered walking away from the series after the last book The Whispering Room and now I’m so glad I stayed with it.

Jane, America’s most wanted fugitive OR America’s new-age hero. Jane is relentless in her pursuit to find those responsible for the nanotechnology with the potential to enslave the world to those in power. One of the first casualties…her own husband, and she’s swore vengeance to hunt down those in charge.

To truly get the most out of this series you really should start with book one The Silent Corner. It provides Jane’s background as well as the uprising of the powerful Arcadians, who will stop at nothing to take over the world for their own perverse pleasures.

It’s a long book (over 500 pages) but with very short chapters you move along quickly. I was drawn in right away and was on the edge of my seat all the way through. Dean Koontz took this series to the next level and I’m already looking forward to the next release!


Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Dean Koontz for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review

Former FBI agent Jane Hawk has gone rogue, fighting the mind-control conspiracy that caused the death of her husband and countless others. She has become very skilled at hiding in plain sight as she continues to fight the powerful people behind the plot. She's being hunted, not only by the FBI but by the devious powers-that-be who are behind the increase in murders and suicides. Jane has a very powerful man in her sights....and she is determined to get him. But the closer she gets, the more she learns that the truth is more horrific than she could have ever imagined.

I love this series! There is plenty of action and Jane Hawk kicks ass as a main character. She is intelligent, scrappy and determined. The Crooked Staircase is the 3rd book in the Jane Hawk series. The facts behind the conspiracy have been revealed slowly as this series progresses. They really messed with the wrong person when they caused Jane's husband to die. She's not going to stop until she gets her revenge and stops their plans.

This series has a bit of a different vibe from other Dean Koontz books I've read in the past. I like his horror novels, but he definitely writes a great action/thriller too! I am definitely going to keep reading each book in this series. The next book, The Forbidden Door, comes out in October 2018, followed by #5, The Night Window in 2019.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Random House/Ballentine via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**